Tag: Now Playing

A little bit behind on this, but I wanted to share the new How to Destroy Angels single – “A Drowning” – with you. How to Destroy Angels is the new project from Trent Reznor, in collaboration with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and represents the first post-NIN music he has produced. In fact, the duo have produced an eponymous EP that will be out this Summer. As for “A Drowning,” the Alan Moulder-produced track reminds me of the best moments of The Downward Spiral(mixed, in fact, by Moulder), or earlier NIN work, in that it has a tightness of focus and composition that seems to reflect a genuine, hungering sense of purpose. Personally, I’m very excited for the EP, as I can feel that this track is just a ripple of thunder before the real storm begins…

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I met Lizzie Nunnery while I was a student at Oxford, and I’m still a little bit afraid of her. Lizzie is one of those quiet, unassuming people who, once you get them going, just explodes with sound and light. I met her while working on one of her student plays, and I have followed her over the years as she tours the U.K. with her music and her drama. She is most prolific. As her biography notes: “…her most recent stage play “Intemperance,” receiving a 5 star review in the Guardian. Her play with songs, “The Singer”, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 08 and she co-composed the soundtrack to her short film, “Monkey Love”, broadcast on Channel 4 in September 2009.” Gosh, it’s a long way from sitting around in Oxford and thinking up comedy sketches (which, of course, I will use to blackmail her when she’s rich and famous. Don’t tell!).

But what’s best about Lizzie is that her art always speaks to something inside you that you weren’t quite aware of. Her voice carries a sincerity of purpose, and a measure of spirit, that is beyond compelling. Indeed, I suspect that you will spend most of the time that you listen to her debut album Company of Ghosts (out now on Fellside Recordings, Amazon, and others) looking off into the distance for something that you suddenly sense but can’t quite see. Lizzie has released two EPs previously – Monkeys & Devils and Hungry – which are, sadly, sold out. Of course, I won’t leave you hanging, and you can find a taste below. And really, I think taste is the right word. No one passively encounters Lizzie… you take her in deep, or you don’t take her in at all. Follow me, have a listen, and see for yourself. Then, hop over to her myspace page for more:

And hey, if you ever see her, ask her when “Llama! The Musical” is coming out. Seriously.

While researching that most recent Friday Night Videos post, I came across That Ghost. I honestly have no idea how it happened, but I’m so glad that it did. The music is remarkably eclectic in style and mood, but all similarly – and comfortingly – low-fi. From the sleepy sounds of “Going Out When It’s Warm At Night” (video below) – which answers the question “Hey! What if Hope Sandoval were a boy?” – to the jangly, fuzzy, help-the-70s-have-exploded-in-my-iPod sounds of “The Red Bow” and “Never Have Fun,” That Ghost knows how to take you places. The sounds remind me of his native California… or, rather, the California of movies and dreams. There’s a slackness to the sound – but not the writing – that exudes the languidness that one would expect to find on some imaginary beach, as the sun drifts lazily over boys and girls at play.

You can check out That Ghost on his myspace page, or find some of his releases at Twosyllable Records. There’s also an excellent interview/podcast over at The Bay Bridged that’s well worth checking out. But for now, you can follow me for a couple of free tracks and a video:

It’s months like this that I’m really thankful for all the excellent music blogs out there that keep me well-stocked with new and interesting things. From Slowcoustic to The Yellow Stereo, Stereogum to Gorilla vs. Bear, I really am spoiled for choice. I’m also still digging my way through those excellent shows over at KEXP and Wolfgang’s Concert Vault. All in all, it’s been a great couple of weeks for music! And so, in this slightly shorter edition of “Now Playing,” I’ll pass on some of the great things that have come my way. Let’s begin!

Yeah, so, Milli Vanilli really happened. What can I say? I was young, and naive… sigh. To help clean your brain from that last post, it’s time, once again, to share a little bit of what I’ve been listening to over the past couple of weeks. It’s been another great period of exploration for me, and I’ve been working hard to share things with you each day. I’ve decided that the site works best on a Monday to Friday schedule, and I hope that you’ve found it satisfying. Also, I hope that you’ve had a chance to try the new music player. If not, it’s over on top of the sidebar. Let me know what you think, ok? (Couldn’t hurt…)

So, yeah, lots of wonderful folk and indie rock to share with you, as well as a couple of classic gems. So, why not follow me, and we’ll get started?